KR20150143402A - Supercritical working fluid circuit with a turbo pump and a start pump in series configuration - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a thermal engine system and method for power generation, and a turbo pump starting method. In some configurations, the thermal engine system includes a starter pump and a turbo pump arranged in series along the working fluid circuit and configured to circulate the working fluid within the working fluid circuit. The starter pump may have a pump portion coupled to the motor-drive portion, and the turbo pump may have a pump portion coupled to the drive turbine. In one configuration, the pump section of the starter pump is coupled in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit in series downstream of the pump section of the turbo pump. In another configuration, the pump section of the starter pump is coupled in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit in series downstream of the pump section of the turbo pump.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a supercritical working fluid circuit having a turbo pump and a starter pump in a serial configuration,

Cross reference of related application

This application is a continuation-in-part of U. S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 10 / 548,501, entitled " Supercritical Working Fluid Circuit with Turbopump and Starter Pump in Series Configuration, " filed August 19, 2013, 13 / 969,738, filed on August 20, 2012, entitled " Supercritical Working Fluid Circuit with Turbopump and Starter Pump in Series Configuration, "

Technical field

The present invention relates to a heat engine system and a method for starting a turbo pump of a heat engine system.

In an effort to maintain the operating temperature of industrial process equipment, waste heat is often created as a byproduct of industrial processes where hot liquid, gaseous or fluid flow streams must be vented or removed in various ways. Some industrial processes utilize heat exchanger equipment to collect waste heat and then recycle it back to the process through other process streams. However, the collection and recycling of waste heat is generally impractical by utilizing high temperatures or by industrial processes with insufficient mass flow or other undesirable conditions.

The waste heat can be converted into useful energy by various turbine generators or thermal engine systems employing thermodynamic methods such as the Rankine cycle. The Lancin Cycle and similar thermodynamic methods are steam turbine processes that recycle and utilize waste heat to generate steam for driving turbines, turbo or other inflators, typically connected to an electric generator, pump or other device.

Organic Raney cycles utilize low boiling working fluids instead of water in traditional Lancin cycles. Exemplary low boiling working fluids include hydrocarbons such as light hydrocarbons (e.g., propane or butane) and halogenated hydrocarbons such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) or hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) (e.g., R245fa) . In recent years, modifications have been made to circulate non-hydrocarbon working fluids such as ammonia in some thermodynamic cycles in terms of issues such as thermal instability, toxicity, flammability and manufacturing costs of low boiling working fluids.

A pump or compressor is typically required to pressurize and circulate the working fluid throughout the working fluid circuit. Pumps are usually motor-driven pumps, but these pumps require expensive shaft seals to prevent leakage of the working fluid and sometimes require the implementation of gearboxes and variable frequency drives, which can reduce the overall cost and complexity of the system . The turbo pump is a device that uses a drive turbine to operate a rotodynamic pump. Replacing the motor-driven pump with a turbo pump eliminates one or more of the above-mentioned issues, but at the same time it is necessary to initiate and achieve the steady-state operation of the turbo pump, which depends on the circulation of the heated working fluid through the drive turbine Problems are introduced. If the turbo pump does not have a successful start sequence, the turbo pump will function properly and will not be able to circulate enough fluid to achieve steady-state operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal engine system and method for operating a waste heat recovery thermodynamic cycle that provides a successful start sequence adapted to start the turbo pump and reach a steady state operation of the system by the turbo pump.

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a thermal engine system and method for power generation. In some embodiments, the thermal engine system includes a starter pump and a turbo pump arranged in series along the working fluid circuit and configured to circulate the working fluid within the working fluid circuit. The starter pump may have a pump portion coupled to the motor-drive portion (e.g., a mechanical or electrical motor) and the turbo pump may have a pump portion coupled to the drive turbine. In one embodiment, the pump section of the starter pump is coupled in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit in series downstream of the pump section of the turbo pump. In another embodiment, the pump section of the starter pump is coupled in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit in series downstream of the pump section of the turbo pump.

Power generation thermal engine systems and methods are configured to efficiently generate useful electrical energy from thermal energy such as heated steam (e.g., waste heat steam). The thermal engine system may include a supercritical state (e.g., sc-CO ₂ ) and / or a subcritical state (e.g., sc-CO ₂ ) contained within a working fluid circuit to collect or otherwise absorb the thermal energy of the waste- (Eg, sub-CO ₂ ). Thermal energy is converted to mechanical energy by a power turbine and then to electrical energy by a power generator coupled to the power turbine. Thermal engine systems include several integrated sub-systems that are managed by a process control system to maximize the efficiency of the thermal engine system while generating power.

In one embodiment disclosed herein, a thermal engine system for power generation includes a turbo pump having a pump portion operatively associated with a drive turbine, the pump portion being fluidly coupled to a working fluid circuit and operatively coupled to the working fluid through a working fluid circuit And the working fluid may have first and second mass flows in the working fluid circuit. The thermal engine system is configured to be fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the working fluid circuit, coupled to and in thermal communication with the heat source strip, and configured to transfer thermal energy from the heat source strip to the first mass flow of working fluid And a first heat exchanger. The heat engine system further includes a power turbine and a power generator, wherein the power turbine is operatively coupled to the working fluid circuit and is operatively connected to the working fluid, the working fluid being disposed in communication with the heat exchanger and downstream of the first heat exchanger, To convert the thermal energy into mechanical energy by a pressure drop in the first mass flow of the power turbine, wherein the power generator is coupled to the power turbine and configured to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. The heat engine system further includes a starter pump having a pump section that is operatively coupled to the motor and configured to circulate the working fluid within the working fluid circuit, wherein the pump section of the starter pump and the pump section of the turbo pump are connected in series And is fluidly coupled.

In one exemplary configuration, the pump portion of the starter pump is coupled in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit in series downstream of the pump portion of the turbo pump. Therefore, the outlet of the pump portion of the turbo pump may be fluidly coupled to the inlet of the pump portion of the starter pump and disposed in series upstream of the inlet. In another exemplary configuration, the pump section of the starter pump is coupled in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit in series downstream of the pump section of the turbo pump. Thus, the inlet of the pump section of the turbo pump can be coupled in fluid communication with the outlet port of the pump section of the starter pump and disposed in series downstream of the outlet port.

In some embodiments, the thermal engine system includes a first recuperator coupled to the power turbine and configured to receive a first mass flow discharged from the power turbine, and a second recuperator coupled to the second turbine in fluid communication with the drive turbine, Further comprising a recuperator, wherein the drive turbine is configured to receive and expand the second mass flow and then into the second recuperator. In some instances, the first regulator may be configured to transfer residual thermal energy from the first mass flow to the second mass flow before the second mass flow is expanded in the drive turbine. The first regulator may be configured to transfer residual thermal energy from the first mass flow exiting the power turbine to the first mass flow guided to the first heat exchanger. The second recuperator may be configured to transfer residual thermal energy from the second mass flow exiting the drive turbine to the second mass flow guided to the second heat exchanger.

In some embodiments, the thermal engine system is in fluid communication with and in thermal communication with the working fluid circuit, is disposed in series with the first heat exchanger along the working fluid circuit, is in fluid communication with the heat source stream and is in thermal communication And a second heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy from the heat source stream to the second mass flow of working fluid. The second heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the heat source stream and can be in fluid communication with the pump portion of the turbo pump and the pump portion of the starter pump. In various embodiments described herein, the working fluid comprises carbon dioxide and at least a portion of the working fluid circuit comprises a working fluid in a supercritical state.

In another embodiment, the thermal engine system includes a first recirculation line for coupling the pump portion of the turbo pump to the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit in fluid communication, and a second recirculation line for coupling the low pressure side of the pump portion of the starter pump to the low- A first bypass valve arranged in the first recirculation line, and a second bypass valve arranged in the second recirculation line.

In another embodiment disclosed herein, a thermal engine system for power generation includes a turbo pump configured to circulate a working fluid through the entire working fluid circuit, and a pump portion operatively associated with the drive turbine. In some instances, the turbo pump is hermetically sealed within the casing. The thermal engine system further includes a starter pump arranged in series with the turbo pump along the working fluid circuit. The heat engine system includes a first check valve arranged downstream of the turbo pump in the working fluid circuit, a second check valve arranged downstream of the pump portion of the starter pump in the working fluid circuit and in fluid communication with the first check valve, .

The heat engine system includes a power turbine coupled in fluid communication with both the pump portion of the turbo pump and the pump portion of the starter pump, a first recirculation line for fluidly coupling the low pressure side of the pump portion of the turbo pump with the working fluid circuit, And a second recirculation line for coupling the pump portion of the starter pump and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit in fluid communication. In some configurations, the thermal engine system includes a first regulator coupled in fluid communication with the power turbine, and a second regulator coupled in fluid communication with the drive turbine. In some configurations, the thermal engine system includes a third regulator that is coupled in fluid communication with the second regulator, and the first, second, and third regulators are disposed in series along the working fluid circuit.

The thermal engine system further includes a condenser in fluid communication with both the pump portion of the turbo pump and the pump portion of the starter pump. The thermal engine system further includes first, second, and third heat exchangers disposed in series and in thermal communication with the heat source stream and in thermal communication with the working fluid circuit in series.

In another embodiment disclosed herein, there is provided a method of starting a turbo pump in a thermal engine system and / or generating electricity with a thermal engine system, the method of the present invention includes operating the pump in a working fluid circuit Circulating the fluid and transferring thermal energy from the heat source stream to the working fluid using a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit and in thermal communication therewith. Typically, the working fluid has a first mass flow and a second mass flow in a working fluid circuit, and at least a portion of the working fluid circuit comprises a working fluid in a supercritical state. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of: flowing a working fluid into a driving turbine of a turbopump to expand the working fluid while converting thermal energy from the working fluid to mechanical energy of the driving turbine; And driving the pump section. The pump section can be coupled to the drive turbine and the working fluid can be circulated in the working fluid circuit by means of a turbo pump. The method includes the steps of bypassing the working fluid discharged from the pump portion of the turbo pump into a first recirculation line in fluid communication with the pump portion of the turbo pump and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit, Closing the first bypass valve arranged in the first recirculation line when the self-sustaining speed of operation is reached. The method includes the steps of: stopping the starter pump and opening a second bypass valve arranged in a second recirculation line to connect the starter pump and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit in fluid communication; Into the second recirculation line. The method also includes the steps of flowing the working fluid into the power turbine to convert the thermal energy from the working fluid to the mechanical energy of the power turbine and the mechanical energy of the power turbine using a power generator coupled to the power turbine, Energy into energy.

In some embodiments, the method of the present invention includes circulating a working fluid in a working fluid circuit using a starter pump after closing the shut-off valve to bypass working fluid around the power turbine arranged in the working fluid circuit . In another embodiment, the method includes opening the shut-off valve when the turbo pump reaches a self-sustaining operating speed, guiding the working fluid into the power turbine, inflating the working fluid in the power turbine, And driving the power generator coupled to the power turbine to generate the power. In another embodiment, a method of the present invention includes opening a shut-off valve when the turbo pump reaches a self-sustaining operating speed, introducing a working fluid into the second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the power turbine and in thermal communication with the heat source stream Conveying additional heat energy from the heat source stream to the working fluid in the second heat exchanger; inflating the working fluid received from the second heat exchanger in the power turbine; The method comprising the steps of: driving a power generator coupled to and operating on a power turbine, wherein the power generator is operable to generate power by driving the power generator.

In some embodiments, the method includes opening a shut-off valve when the turbo pump reaches a self-sustaining operating speed; Guiding the working fluid into a second heat exchanger in thermal communication with the heat source stream, wherein the first and second heat exchangers are arranged in series in the heat source stream; Directing working fluid from the second heat exchanger into the third heat exchanger in fluid communication with the power turbine and in thermal communication with the heat source stream, wherein the first, second and third heat exchangers are arranged in series in the heat source stream A guiding step; Transferring additional thermal energy from the heat source stream to the working fluid in the third heat exchanger; inflating the working fluid received from the third heat exchanger in the power turbine; The method comprising the steps of: driving a generator coupled to a power turbine, wherein the generator is operable to generate power by driving the generator.

IA is a schematic diagram of a thermal engine system according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein.
1B is a schematic diagram of another thermal engine system according to one or more embodiments disclosed herein.
2 is a schematic diagram of a thermal engine system configured with a cascade thermodynamic waste heat recovery cycle in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein.
3 is a schematic diagram of a thermal engine system configured with parallel thermal engine cycles in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein.
4 is a schematic diagram of another heat engine system configured with different parallel heat engine cycles in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein.
5 is a schematic diagram of another heat engine system configured with different parallel heat engine cycles in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein.
6 is a flow diagram of a method for starting a turbo pump in a thermal engine system having thermodynamic working fluid circuitry in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein.

The invention is better understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that the standard practice of the industry does not constitute a multiplicity of features. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may optionally be increased or decreased for clarity of discussion.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show simplified schematic diagrams of thermal engine systems 100a and 100b, which may also be referred to as heat engines, power generation devices, heat recovery systems, and / or thermo-electric systems. Thermal engine systems 100a, 100b may include one or more components of a lantern thermodynamic cycle configured to generate power (e.g., electricity) from a wide range of heat sources. As used herein, the term " thermal engine " or " heat engine " refers generally to a set of equipment that performs the various thermodynamic cycle embodiments disclosed herein. The term " heat recovery system "generally refers to a heat engine that cooperates with other equipment to transfer heat to / from the heat engine.

The thermal engine systems 100a and 100b generally include at least one heat exchanger 103 and a power turbine 110 that are in fluid communication with and in thermal communication with a working fluid circuit 102 that includes a working fluid . In some arrangements, the thermal engine systems 100a, 100b include a single heat exchanger 103. However, in other configurations, the thermal engine systems 100a, 100b are configured to couple fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit 102 and configured to couple fluidly to the heat source stream 90 (e.g., the waste heat stream flowing from the waste heat source) , And three or more heat exchangers (103). The power turbine 110 may be any type of expansion device, such as an expander or turbine, and may include an alternator configured to receive electricity generated by a shaft produced by the power turbine 10, Generator 112 or other device / system. The power turbine 110 includes an inlet for receiving a working fluid flowing through the control valve 133 from the heat exchanger 103 into the high-pressure side of the working fluid circuit 102. Further, the power turbine 110 has an outlet for discharging the working fluid to the low-pressure side of the working fluid circuit 102. The control valve 133 may be operatively configured to control the flow of working fluid from the heat exchanger 103 to the inlet of the power turbine 110.

The thermal engine systems 100a and 100b further include various pumps such as a turbo pump 124 and a starter pump 129 disposed within the working fluid circuit 102. Turbo pump 124 and starter pump 129 are each fluidly coupled between the low and high pressure sides of working fluid circuit 102. Specifically, the pump section 104 of the turbo pump 124, the drive turbine 116, and the pump section 128 of the starter pump 129 are independently operated between the low-pressure side and the high-pressure side of the operating fluid circuit 102 As shown in FIG. The turbo pump 124 and the starter pump 129 may be operable to circulate and compress the working fluid throughout the working fluid circuit 102. The starter pump 129 may be used to initially compress and circulate the working fluid within the working fluid circuit 102. Once the working fluid in the working fluid circuit 102 has obtained a predetermined pressure, temperature, and / or flow rate, the starter pump 129 may be deactivated, idled, or turned off and the turbo pump 124 may be used Thereby circulating the working fluid and generating electricity.

Figures 1a and 1b illustrate a turbo pump 124 and a turbo pump 124 to couple the pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124 and the pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129 in series fluid communication with the working fluid circuit 102 Indicating that the starter pump 129 is coupled in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit 102 in series. In one embodiment, FIG. 1A shows that the working fluid continues to flow from the condenser 122 through the pump section 104 of the turbo pump 124 and continuously through the pump section 128 of the starter pump 129 to the power turbine The pump unit 104 of the turbo pump 124 is connected in fluid communication with the upstream portion of the pump unit 128 of the starter pump 129 so that the fluid can flow through the pump unit 128. [ 1B shows that working fluid continues to flow from the condenser 122 through the pump section 128 of the starter pump 129 and continuously through the pump section 104 of the turbo pump 124 to the power turbine The pump unit 128 of the starter pump 129 is connected in fluid communication with the upstream of the pump unit 104 of the turbo pump 124 so that the pump unit 128 can flow through the pump unit 104. [

The starter pump 129 may be a motor-operated pump, such as an electric motor pump, a machine motor pump, or any other type of pump. Typically, the starter pump 129 may be a variable frequency motorized drive pump and includes a pump section 128 and a motor-drive section 130. The motor-drive portion 130 of the starter pump 129 includes a drive including a motor, a drive shaft, and an optional gear (not shown). In some examples, the motor-drive portion 130 includes a variable frequency driver, whereby the speed of the motor can be adjusted by the driver. The motor-driving unit 130 may be operated by an external power source.

The pump section 128 of the starter pump 129 may be driven by the motor-drive section 130 coupled thereto. In one embodiment, the pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129 has an inlet for receiving a working fluid from the outlet of the pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124, as shown in FIG. 1A. The pump section 128 of the starter pump 129 also has an outlet that discharges the working fluid into the working fluid circuit 102 upstream of the power turbine 110. 1B, the pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129 is connected to an inlet for receiving the working fluid from the low compression of the working fluid circuit 102, for example, from the condenser 122 I have. The pump section 128 of the starter pump 129 also has an outlet that discharges the working fluid into the working fluid circuit 102 upstream of the pump section 104 of the turbo pump 124.

Turbo pump 124 is typically a turbo / turbine-driven pump or compressor and is used to compress and circulate the working fluid throughout working fluid circuit 102. The turbo pump 124 includes a pump section 104 and a drive turbine 116 which are coupled together by a drive shaft 123 and an optional gear box. The pump section 104 of the turbo pump 124 may be driven by a drive shaft 123 coupled to the drive turbine 116.

The drive turbine 116 of the turbo pump 124 may be any type of expansion device such as an expander or a turbine and may include a pump section 104 or other compressors configured to receive the shaft work generated by the drive turbine 116. [ / Pump device. The drive turbine 116 may be driven by a heated and compressed working fluid such as a working fluid heated by a heat exchanger 103. The drive turbine 116 has an inlet that receives the working fluid flowing from the heat exchanger 103 through the control valve 143 to the high pressure side of the working fluid circuit 102. The drive turbine 116 also has an outlet that discharges the working fluid into the low-pressure side of the working fluid circuit 102. The control valve 143 may be operatively configured to control the flow of working fluid from the heat exchanger 103 to the inlet of the drive turbine 116.

1A, the pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124 includes an inlet configured to receive a working fluid, e.g., downstream of the condenser 122, from the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit 102. In one embodiment, I have. The pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124 has an outlet for discharging the working fluid into the working fluid circuit 102 upstream of the pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129. In addition, the pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129 has an inlet configured to receive working fluid from the outlet of the pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124.

1B, the pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129 is connected to an inlet configured to receive working fluid from the low-pressure side of the working fluid circuit 102, e.g., downstream of the condenser 122, . The pump section 128 of the starter pump 129 has an outlet that discharges the working fluid into the working fluid circuit 102 upstream of the pump section 104 of the turbo pump 124. The pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124 also has an inlet configured to receive working fluid from an outlet of the pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129.

The pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129 is configured to circulate and / or compress the working fluid within the working fluid circuit 102 during the preheating process. The pump section 128 of the starter pump 129 is configured in series with the pump section 104 of the turbo pump 124. 1A, thermal engine system 100a is coupled in fluid communication with the discharge line of pump section 104 and is disposed between discharge line 104 of pump section 104 and pump section 128 Suction line 127, as shown in FIG. Suction line 127 provides flow from pump section 104 and pump section 128. 1B, the thermal engine system 100b includes a line 131 that is coupled and disposed in fluid communication between the pump section 104 and the pump section 128. In this example, Line 131 provides flow from pump section 104 and pump section 128. The starter pump 129 can be operated until the mass flow rate and temperature of the second mass flow m ₂ is sufficient to operate the turbo pump 124 in its self-sustaining mode.

In one embodiment, the turbo pump 124 is hermetically sealed within the housing or casing such that a shaft seal is not required along the drive shaft 123 between the pump portion 104 and the drive turbine 116. It is advantageous to remove the shaft seal, as this will help to reduce capital costs for the thermal engine system 100a or 100b. In addition, hermetically sealing the turbo pump 124 with the casing 126 provides significant savings by eliminating leakage of the working fluid to the outside. However, in other embodiments, the turbo pump 124 need not be hermetically sealed.

In at least one embodiment, the working fluid in the working fluid circuit 102 of the thermal engine system 100a or 100b comprises carbon dioxide. The use of the term carbon dioxide is not intended to be limited to carbon dioxide of any particular kind, purity or quality. For example, industrial grade carbon dioxide can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. In another embodiment, the working fluid may be a binary, tertiary or other working fluid mixture. For example, the working fluid combination can be selected for the unique properties of the combination within the heat recovery system as described herein. One such fluid combination comprises a liquid adsorbent and a carbon dioxide mixture that allows the combination to be pumped to a higher pressure with a lower energy input than is necessary to compress the carbon dioxide in a liquid state. In another embodiment, the working fluid may be a combination of carbon dioxide and one or more other mixed fluids. In yet another embodiment, the working fluid may be carbon dioxide and propane, or a combination of carbon dioxide and ammonia, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The use of the term "working fluid" is not intended to limit the state or aspect of the material of the working fluid. For example, the working fluid or a portion of the working fluid may be in a liquid phase, a gas phase, a fluid phase, a microcritical state, a supercritical state at any one or more points within the working fluid circuit 102, the heat engine system 100a or 100b, A critical state, or any other phase or state. In one or more embodiments, the working fluid may be in a supercritical state over a predetermined portion (e.g., the high pressure side) of the working fluid circuit 102 and the other portion of the working fluid circuit 102 (e.g., May be in a supercritical state or a critical state. In another embodiment, the entire thermodynamic cycle may be operated such that the working fluid is maintained in a supercritical or non-critical state across the entire working fluid circuit 102.

In combination and as used herein, the working fluid may be characterized as m ₁ + m ₂ , where m ₁ is the first mass flow and m ₂ is the second mass flow, but each mass flow m ₁ and m ₂ are part of the same working fluid mass circulated throughout the working fluid circuit 102. The combined working fluid (m ₁ + m ₂ ) from the pump section 104 of the turbo pump 124 is directed to the heat exchanger 103. The first mass flow m ₁ is directed to the power turbine 110 to drive the power generator 112. The second mass flow m ₂ is directed from the heat exchanger 102 back to the drive turbine 116 to provide the energy required to drive the pump section 104. The first and second mass flows that have passed through the power turbine 110 and the drive turbine 116 are combined and then led to the condenser 122 and then back to the turbo pump 124 to begin the cycle again.

Steady state operation of the turbo pump 124 is dependent, at least in part, on the mass flow rate and temperature of the second mass flow m ₂ which is expanded within the drive turbine 116. Until the mass flow rate and the temperature of the second mass flow m ₂ are sufficiently increased, the drive turbine 116 can not properly drive the pump section 104 to be self-sustaining. Thus, until the thermal engine system 100a is started and the turbo pump 124 can "ramp-up" the operation and properly circulate the working fluid, the heat engine system 100a or 100b will start the engine (129) is used to circulate the working fluid in the working fluid circuit (102).

In order to facilitate the start-up sequence of the turbo pump 124, the thermal engine systems 100a, 100b may include a series of check valves, bypass valves, and / or valves arranged in predetermined positions throughout the working fluid circuit 102 And may further include a shut-off valve. These valves can be operated in tandem to guide the working fluid into the appropriate conduit until steady state operation of the turbo pump 124 can be maintained. In one or more embodiments, the various valves may be automated or semi-automated motor-driven valves coupled to an automated control system (not shown). In other embodiments, the valves may be manually adjustable or a combination of automatic and manual adjustments.

Figure 1A shows a first check valve 146 arranged downstream of pump section 104 and a second check valve 148 arranged downstream of pump section 128 as described in one embodiment. 1B shows that the first check valve 146 is arranged downstream of the pump section 104 as described in one embodiment. The check valves 146 and 148 may be configured to prevent the working fluid from flowing upstream of the respective pump sections 104 and 128 during various operating phases of the thermal engine system 100a. For example, during the start-up and operation enhancement of the thermal engine system 100a, the starter pump 129 is connected to the discharge line 105 of the pump section 104 and the suction line 127 of the pump section 128, (E.g., 150 points) of the first check valve 146 as compared to the low pressure in the first check valve 146 (FIG. Accordingly, the first check valve 146 ensures that the working fluid flows into the heat exchanger 103 by preventing the high-pressure working fluid discharged from the pump portion 128 from being recirculated to the pump portion 104 side.

When the turbo pump 124 is accelerated through the stall speed of the turbo pump 124 where the pump section 104 of the pump is capable of pumping properly against the head pressure generated by the starter pump 129, , The first recirculation line 152 may be used to bypass a portion of the low pressure working fluid that is discharged from the pump portion 104. A first bypass valve 154 may be arranged in the first recirculation line 152 such that the turbo pump 124 is energized or otherwise speeded up so that low pressure working fluid can flow through the heat exchanger 103, And to be recycled back to the working fluid circuit 102 back to any point in the working fluid circuit 102 in front of the pump portions 104,128. In one embodiment, the first recycle line 152 can couple the outlet of the pump section 104 to the inlet of the condenser 122 in fluid communication.

Once the turbo pump 124 has acquired its self-sustaining speed, the bypass valve 154 in the first recirculation line 152 may be gradually closed. The gradual closing of the bypass valve 154 will increase the fluid pressure at the discharge side from the pump section 104 and reduce the flow rate through the first recycle line 152. As a result, once the turbo pump 124 reaches the steady state operating speed, the bypass valve 154 can be fully closed and the entire working fluid discharged from the pump section 104 can be passed through the first check valve 146 . Further, once the steady state operating speed is achieved, the starter pump 129 becomes unnecessary and can be shut down. The thermal engine system 100a, 100b may have an automated control system (not shown) configured to regulate, operate or control the valve and other components therein.

In another embodiment as shown in FIG. 1A, in order to enable the start pump 129 to be shut down without causing damage to the start pump 129, a second recirculation (not shown) in which a second bypass valve 160 is arranged The low pressure working fluid that the line 158 emits from the pump portion 128 can be delivered to the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit 102 in the heat engine system 100a. The low pressure side of the working fluid circuit 102 may be any point downstream of the heat exchanger 103 and the previous working fluid circuit 102 of the pump section 104,128. The second bypass valve 160 is normally closed during start-up and operation enhancement to deliver all the working fluid discharged from the pump portion 128 through the second check valve 148. However, as the start pump 129 lowers the output, the head head pressure passing through the second check valve 148 becomes larger than the discharge pressure of the pump portion 128. [ The second bypass valve 160 may be gradually opened to provide relief to the pump unit 128 so that the working fluid may escape to the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit. As a result, the second bypass valve 160 can be fully opened when the speed of the pump portion 128 is slowed down and stopped.

Connecting the starter pump 129 in series with the turbo pump 124 causes the pressure generated by the starter pump 129 to accumulate on the pressure generated by the turbo pump 124 until a self- . Compared to a starter pump connected in parallel with the turbo pump, the starter pump 129 connected in series supplies the same but with a much lower pressure difference. The starter pump 129 does not have to generate as much pressure difference as the turbo pump 124 does. Therefore, by reducing the power condition for operating the pump section 128, a small motor-drive section 130 can be used for the operation of the pump section 128.

In some embodiments described herein, the starter pump 129 and the turbo pump 124 may be coupled in series fluid communication along the working fluid circuit 102, as shown in FIG. 1A, while the turbo pump 124 Is disposed upstream of the pump section 128 of the starter pump 129. The pump section 104 of the starter pump 129 is disposed upstream of the pump section 128 of the starter pump 129. This serial configuration of the turbo pump 124 and the starter pump 129 is advantageous in that the turbo pump 124 is self-sustained while the starter pump 129 ) ≪ / RTI >

1b, the starter pump 129 and the turbo pump 124 are coupled in series in fluid communication along the working fluid circuit 102, while the starter pump 129 and the turbo pump 124 are connected in series, The pump section 128 is disposed upstream of the pump section 104 of the turbo pump 124. This series configuration of the starter pump 129 and the turbo pump 124 provides a reduction in the pressure requirements for the starter pump 129. Therefore, the starter pump 129 may function as a low-speed booster pump to mitigate the risk of cavitation of the turbo pump 124. The function of the low-speed booster pump is to enable higher cycle output by increasing the turbine pressure ratio by operating close to saturation without cavitation.

In both the thermal engine system 100a (FIG. 1A) and the thermal engine system 100B (FIG. 1B), the pump portion 104 is in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit 102 And a turbo pump 124 having a pump portion 104 that is coupled to and operated on the drive turbine 116 so as to be configured to circulate the working fluid through the working fluid circuit 102. The working fluid has a first mass flow m ₁ and a second mass flow m ₂ in the working fluid circuit 102. Thermal engine systems 100a and 100b are fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the working fluid circuit 102 and are in fluid communication with the heat source strip 90 (e.g., the waste heat stream flowing from the waste heat source) Two, three or more heat exchangers 103 configured to communicate heat energy from the heat source stream 90 to the first mass flow of working fluid within the working fluid circuit 102 . The thermal engine systems 100a, 100b also include a power generator 112 coupled to the power turbine 110. [ The power turbine (110) is in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit (102) and is thermally communicated and disposed downstream of the first heat exchanger (103). The power turbine 110 is typically configured to convert thermal energy to mechanical energy by a pressure drop in the first mass flow of working fluid flowing through the power turbine 110. The power generator 112 may be replaced by another device, such as an alternator configured to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.

The thermal engine systems 100a and 100b further include a starter pump 129 coupled to the motor-drive 130 and having a pump portion 128 configured to circulate the working fluid within the working fluid circuit 102 do. For example, the pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129 and the pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124 may be coupled in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit 102 in series.

1A, the pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129 is connected to the working fluid circuit 102 downstream and in series with the pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124. In one exemplary configuration, And is fluidly coupled. The heat engine system 100a therefore has an outlet of the pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124 that can be coupled in series upstream in fluid communication with the inlet of the pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129 . The pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129 is in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit 102 in series upstream with respect to the pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124. In other exemplary embodiments, Lt; / RTI > Thermal engine system 100b therefore has an inlet of pump section 104 of turbo pump 124 that can be coupled in series downstream in fluid communication with the outlet of pump section 128 of starter pump 129 .

In some embodiments, the thermal engine system 100a, 100b is coupled to the power turbine 110 and includes a first concentrator or 122 configured to receive a first mass flow exiting the power turbine 110, . The heat engine systems 100a and 100b may also include a second regulator or condenser (not shown) in fluid communication with the drive turbine 116, wherein the drive turbine 116 is configured to receive the second mass flow And then discharged into an additional regulator or condenser. In some instances, the recuperator or condenser 122 may be configured to transfer the residual thermal energy from the first mass flow to the second mass flow before the second mass flow is expanded in the drive turbine 116. The recuperator or condenser 122 may be configured to transfer residual thermal energy from the first mass flow exiting the power turbine 110 to the first mass flow delivered to the first heat exchanger 103. The additional regulator or condenser is adapted to transfer residual thermal energy from the second mass flow exiting the drive turbine 116 to the second mass flow delivered to a second heat exchanger such as contained within the first heat exchanger 103 Lt; / RTI >

In some embodiments, the thermal engine systems 100a, 100b are in fluid communication with and in thermal communication with the working fluid circuit 102 and are disposed in series with the first heat exchanger 103 along the working fluid circuit 102 And a second heat exchanger (103). The second heat exchanger 103 may be configured to be fluidly coupled to and in thermal communication with the heat source stream 90 and to transfer thermal energy from the heat source stream 90 to a second mass flow of the working fluid. The second heat exchanger 103 is in thermal communication with the heat source stream 90 and can be in fluid communication with the pump section 104 of the turbo pump 124 and the pump section 128 of the starter pump 129. In some embodiments described herein, a thermal engine system 100a or 100b includes first, second, third, fourth, and fifth embodiments, such as 103, disposed in series and in thermal communication with the heat source stream 90 by a working fluid within the working fluid circuit 102, Second and third heat exchangers. The heat exchangers 103 may also be disposed in series, in parallel, or a combination thereof and may be in thermal communication with the heat source stream 90 by a working fluid within the working fluid circuit 102. In various embodiments described herein, the working fluid includes carbon dioxide and at least some of the working fluid circuit 102, e.g., the high pressure side, comprises a working fluid in a supercritical state.

In another embodiment, the thermal engine systems 100a, 100b further include a first recycle line 152 and a first bypass valve 154 disposed therein. The first recycle line 152 may be in fluid communication with the pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124 on the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit 102. In addition, the heat engine system 100a includes a second recycle line 158 and a second bypass valve 160 disposed therein, as shown in FIG. 1A. The second recirculation line 158 may be in fluid communication with the pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129 on the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit 102.

The thermal engine systems 100a and 100b are coupled to the turbine pump 124 and the drive turbine 116 configured to circulate the working fluid throughout the working fluid circuit 102 and operated And a pump unit 104. In some examples, the turbo pump 124 is hermetically sealed within the casing. The thermal engine systems 100a and 100b also include a starter pump 129 arranged in series with the turbo pump 124 along the working fluid circuit 102. The thermal engine systems 100a and 100b include a first check valve 146 arranged in the working fluid circuit 102 downstream of the pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124. The thermal engine system 100a includes a second check valve 148 disposed in the working fluid circuit 102 downstream of the pump portion 128 of the starter pump 129 and coupled in fluid communication with the first check valve 146, ).

The thermal engine systems 100a and 100b include a power turbine 110 and a pump unit 104 coupled in fluid communication with both the pump unit 104 of the turbo pump 124 and the pump unit 128 of the starter pump 129, To the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit (102) in fluid communication with the first recirculation line (152). In some configurations, the thermal engine system 100a or 100b includes a recuperator or condenser 122 in fluid communication with the downstream of the power turbine 110 and an additional recuperator < RTI ID = 0.0 > A lighter or a condenser (not shown). In another configuration, the thermal engine system 100a or 100b may include a third or a third condenser or condenser in fluid communication with the additional regulator or condenser, and the first, Or the condenser are disposed in series along the working fluid circuit 102.

In another embodiment described herein, a method is provided for starting a turbo pump 124 in a thermal engine system 100a, 100b and / or generating electricity in a thermal engine system 100a, 100b, (90) from a heat source stream (90) by a first heat exchanger (103) circulating working fluid in the working fluid circuit (102) by a starter pump and in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit (102) And transferring the thermal energy to the working fluid. Typically, the working fluid includes a first mass flow and a second mass flow in the working fluid circuit 102, and at least a portion of the working fluid circuit comprises a working fluid in a supercritical state. The method of the present invention causes the working fluid to flow into the driving turbine 116 of the turbo pump 124 to expand the working fluid while simultaneously converting the thermal energy from the working fluid to the mechanical energy of the driving turbine 116, And driving the pump unit 104 of the turbo pump 124 by the mechanical energy of the first pump 116. [ The pump portion 104 may be coupled to the drive turbine 116 and the working fluid may be circulated within the working fluid circuit 102 by a turbo pump 124. The method of the present invention also allows the working fluid discharged from the pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124 to flow through the pump portion 104 of the turbo pump 124 in fluid communication with the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit 102 1 recirculation line 152 and closing the first bypass valve 154 arranged in the first recirculation line 152 when the turbo pump 124 reaches the self-sustaining operating speed.

In another embodiment, thermal engine system 100a may be utilized while performing the various methods disclosed herein. The method of the present invention is advantageous in that the method of disposing the first recirculation line 158 disposed in the second recirculation line 158 that deactivates the starter pump 129 in the thermal engine system 100a and fluidly communicates the low pressure side of the starter pump 129 with the working fluid circuit 102 And opening the second bypass valve 160 to bypass the working fluid discharged from the starting pump 129 into the second recirculation line 158. In addition, the method of the present invention also includes the steps of flowing the working fluid into the power turbine 110 to convert the thermal energy from the working fluid to the mechanical energy of the power turbine 110 and then to the power generator 112 coupled to the power turbine 110, And converting the mechanical energy of the power turbine 110 into electrical energy.

In some embodiments, the method of the present invention includes closing the shut-off valve to bypass the working fluid around the power turbine 110 arranged in the working fluid circuit 102, And circulating in the circuit (102). In an alternative embodiment, the method of the present invention can be accomplished by first delivering the working fluid into the power turbine 110 by opening the shutoff valve once the turbo pump 124 has reached its self-sustaining operating speed, And driving the power generator 112 coupled to the power turbine 110 by being inflated to generate power. In another embodiment, the method of the present invention opens the shut-off valve or control valve 133 once the turbo pump 124 has reached its self-sustaining operating speed, and is operatively coupled to the power turbine 110 in fluid communication with the working fluid Into a second heat exchanger 103 that is in thermal communication with the heat source stream 90 and transfers additional heat energy from the heat source stream 90 to the working fluid in the second heat exchanger 103, (112) that is operatively coupled to the power turbine (110) to inflate the working fluid received from the power generator (103) in the power turbine (110) and operable to cause the power generator .

In some embodiments, the method of the present invention opens the shut-off valve once the turbo pump 124 has reached its self-sustaining operating speed, and the first, second and third heat exchangers in the heat exchanger 103 are connected in series The working fluid is delivered from the second heat exchanger to the power turbine 110 in fluid communication with the heat source strip 90 and the heat source stream 90 is thermally coupled to the second heat exchanger To transfer the additional heat energy from the heat source stream 90 to the working fluid in the third heat exchanger and the working fluid received from the third heat exchanger to expand into the power turbine 110 And driving a power generator 112 that is operatively coupled to the power turbine 110 so that the power generator 112 is operable to generate power.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary thermal engine system 101 configured as a closed-loop thermodynamic cycle and operated to circulate the working fluid throughout the working fluid circuit 105. The thermal engine system 101 illustrates a more detailed configuration and may in many aspects be similar to the thermal engine system 100a described above. Accordingly, the heat engine system 101 will be better understood with reference to Figs. 1A and 1B (the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and are not described in detail again). The thermal engine system 101 may be characterized as a "cascade" thermodynamic cycle that utilizes the residual thermal energy from the expanded working fluid to preheat additional working fluid prior to its respective expansion. Other exemplary cascade thermodynamic cycles that may be implemented in the present invention can be found in PCT Application No. PCT / US11 / 29486, published as WO2011 / 119650 under "Thermal Engine with Cascade Cycle" filed March 22, , The contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The working fluid circuit 105 typically includes a variety of conduits adapted to interconnect the various components of the thermal engine system 101. The heat engine system 101 may be characterized as a closed loop cycle, but the entire heat engine system 101 may not be hermetically sealed or hermetically sealed so that the working fluid does not leak into the environment at all. The heat engine system 101 typically includes an automated control system (not shown) configured to regulate, operate, or otherwise control the valve and other components therein.

The heat engine system 101 includes a heat exchanger 108 in thermal communication with the heat source stream Qin. The heat source stream Qin can obtain thermal energy from various high temperature sources. For example, the heat source stream (Qin) may be, for example, but not limited to, other combustion product exhaust streams such as, but not limited to, gas turbine exhaust, process stream exhaust, furnace or boiler exhaust stream, or other heated streams flowing from one or more heat sources It can be a waste heat stream. Thus, the thermodynamic cycle or heat engine system 101 can be used to control the internal combustion engine from a gas turbine, a fixed diesel engine genset, industrial waste heat recovery (e.g., at a refining and compression station), bottom cycling at a hybrid alternator To convert the waste heat to electricity. In another embodiment, the heat source stream Qin can obtain thermal energy from a new heat energy source, such as, but not limited to, solar and geothermal sources.

The heat source stream Qin may be the fluid stream of the hot source itself, but in other embodiments the heat source stream Qin may be a thermal fluid in contact with the hot source. The heat fluid may transfer thermal energy to the waste heat heat exchanger 108 to transfer energy to the working fluid within the circuit 105.

The merged working fluid m ₁ + m ₂ discharged from the pump section 104 is classified into the first and second mass flows m ₁ and m ₂ at the point 106 in the working fluid circuit 105. The first mass flow m ₁ is sent to a heat exchanger 108 in thermal communication with the heat source stream Qin. Each mass flow m ₁ , m ₂ may be controlled by the user, control system or system configuration as desired.

The power turbine 110 is arranged downstream of the heat exchanger 108 to receive and expand the first mass flow m ₁ discharged from the heat exchanger 108. The power turbine 110 is operatively coupled to an alternator, power generator 112 or other device or system configured to receive shaft work. The power generator 112 converts the mechanical work generated by the power turbine 110 into useful power.

The power turbine 110 discharges the first mass flow m ₁ into a first concentrator 114 coupled in fluid communication there downstream. The first regulator 114 may be configured to transfer the residual thermal energy in the first mass flow m ₁ to the second mass flow m ₂ through the first regulator 114 as well. As a result, the temperature of the first mass flow m ₁ is reduced and the temperature of the second mass flow m ₂ is increased. The second mass flow m ₂ may then be expanded within the drive turbine 116.

The drive turbine 116 discharges the second mass flow m ₂ into a second recuperator 118 coupled in fluid communication there downstream. The second recuperator 118 may be configured to transfer the residual thermal energy from the second mass flow m ₂ to the merged working fluid m ₁ + m ₂ that is released from the original pump portion 104 . The mass flows m ₁ and m ₂ emitted from the respective regulators 114 and 118 are re-merged at point 120 in the working fluid circuit 102 and then returned to the cold state at the condenser 122. After passing through the condenser 122, the merged working fluid (m ₁ + m ₂ ) is returned to the pump section 104 and the cycle is restarted.

The recuperator 114, 118 and the condenser 122 may be configured to reduce the temperature of the working fluid, including, but not limited to, a direct contact heat exchanger, a trim cooler, a mechanical cooling unit, and / Lt; / RTI > The heat exchanger 108, the correlators 114 and 118, and / or the condenser 122 may include or employ one or more printed circuit heat exchanger panels. Such heat exchangers and / or panels are known in the art and are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,921,518, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference to the extent that they are consistent with the present invention; 7,022,294; 7,033,553.

In at least one embodiment, the heat source stream Qin may be at a temperature of about 200 占 폚 or at a temperature at which the turbo pump 124 can achieve self-sustaining operation. As can be seen, higher temperature heat source stream temperatures can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention. However, in order to keep the thermal stress within the processable range, the working fluid temperature can be "alleviated" through application of a liquid carbon dioxide injection upstream of the drive turbine 116.

To facilitate the start-up sequence of the turbo pump 124, the heat engine system 101 further includes a series of check valves, bypass valves, and / or shut-off valves arranged at predetermined locations throughout the circuit 105 . These valves can be operated in tandem to guide the working fluid into the appropriate conduit until steady state operation of the turbo pump 124 can be maintained. In one or more embodiments, the various valves may be automated or semi-automated motor-driven valves coupled to an automated control system (not shown). In other embodiments, the valves may be manually adjustable or a combination of automatic and manual adjustments.

For example, a shut-off valve 132 arranged upstream from the power turbine 110 may be closed during start-up and / or operation enhancement of the thermal engine system 101. The first mass flow m ₁ is bypassed around the power turbine 110 via the second bypass line 134 and the second bypass line 136 after being heated in the heat exchanger 108. A bypass valve 140 is arranged in the second bypass line 138 and a check valve 142 is arranged in the first bypass line 134. A portion of the working fluid circulated through the first bypass line 134 may be used to preheat the second mass flow m ₂ in the first regulator 114. The check valve 144 allows the second mass flow m ₂ to flow into the first regulator 114. A portion of the working fluid circulated through the second bypass line 138 is merged with the second mass flow m ₂ discharged from the first regulator 114 and injected into the drive turbine 116 at a high temperature.

Once the turbo pump 124 has reached the steady state operating speed and has reached its self-sustaining speed, the shut-off valve 132 arranged upstream from the power turbine 110 can be opened and at the same time the bypass valve 140 Can be closed. As a result, the heated stream of the first mass flow m ₁ can be transferred through the power turbine 110 to begin generating power.

Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary thermal engine system 200 configured as a parallel thermal engine cycle in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein. The thermal engine system 200 may be similar in many respects to the thermal engine systems 100a, 100b, and 101 described above. Accordingly, the heat engine system 200 can be further understood with reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2, in which like reference numerals designate like elements that are not described in detail again. 3, the thermal engine system 200 of FIG. 3, including the thermal engine system 100a described above, can be used to convert thermal energy into heat by thermal expansion of the working fluid flowing through the working fluid circuit 202. However, the thermal engine system 200 may be characterized as a parallel-type Lancin thermodynamic cycle.

Specifically, the working fluid circuit 202 may include first and second heat exchangers 204, 206 arranged to be in thermal communication with the heat source stream Qin. The first and second heat exchangers 204, 206 may correspond generally to the heat exchanger 108 described above with reference to FIG. For example, in one embodiment, the first and second heat exchangers 204, 206 may be the first and second stages of a single or combined heat exchanger, respectively. The first heat exchanger 204 may function as a high temperature heat exchanger (e.g., a high temperature for the second heat exchanger 206) adapted to receive initial heat energy from the heat source stream Qin. The second heat exchanger 206 may receive additional thermal energy from the heat source stream Qin through a series connection downstream of the first heat exchanger 204. The heat exchangers 204 and 206 are in series with the heat source stream Qin but are arranged in parallel with the working fluid circuit 202.

The first heat exchanger 204 may be coupled to the power turbine 110 in fluid communication and the second heat exchanger 206 may be coupled to the drive turbine 116 in fluid communication. Again, the power turbine 110 is coupled in fluid communication with the first regulator 114 and the drive turbine 116 is coupled in fluid communication with the second regulator 118. The correlators 114 and 118 may be arranged in series on the low temperature side of the circuit 202 and in parallel on the high temperature side of the circuit 202. [ For example, the hot side of the circuit 202 includes a portion of the circuit 202 arranged downstream of each of the regulators 114, 118, where the working fluid is transferred to the heat exchangers 204, 206. The cold side of the circuit 202 includes a portion of the circuit 202 downstream of each of the regulators 114 and 118 where the working fluid is transferred away from the heat exchangers 204 and 206.

The turbo pump 124 is also included in the working fluid circuit 202 in which the pump portion 104 is coupled to the drive turbine 116 via the drive shaft 123 (indicated by the dashed line) as described above. The pump section 104 is illustrated as being separated from the drive turbine 116 to facilitate viewing and explaining the circuit 202 only. In fact, although not specifically illustrated, both pump section 104 and drive turbine 116 may be hermetically sealed within casing 126 (Fig. 1). The starter pump 129 enables a startup sequence for the turbo pump 124 during start-up of the thermal engine system 200 and operation of the turbo pump 124. Once the turbo pump 124 reaches steady state operation, the starter pump 129 may be deactivated.

The power turbine 110 may operate at a higher relative temperature (e.g., a higher turbine inlet curve) than the drive turbine 116 due to the temperature drop of the heat source stream Qin across the first heat exchanger 204 have. The power turbine 110 and the drive turbine 116 may each be configured to operate at the same or substantially the same inflow pressure. The low pressure discharge mass flow out of each of the regulator 114,118 is passed through the condenser 122 to be cooled for return to the low temperature side of the circuit 202, , 128).

During steady state operation of the thermal engine system 200, the turbo pump 124 uses the pump section 104 to circulate all of the working fluid throughout the circuit 202 and the starter pump 129 is typically operated Nor is it necessary. The first bypass valve 154 in the first recirculation line 152 is fully closed and the working fluid is separated into the first and second mass flows m ₁ and m ₂ at the point 210. The first mass flow m ₁ is delivered through the first heat exchanger 204 and then expanded within the power turbine 110 to generate power through the power generator 112. After passing through the power turbine 110, the first mass flow m ₁ passes through the first regulator 114 and the corresponding first mass flow m ₁ is transmitted to the first heat exchanger 204 side And transfers the residual heat energy to the first mass flow m ₁ .

The second mass flow m ₂ is delivered through the second heat exchanger 206 and thereafter expanded within the drive turbine 116 to drive the pump section 104 through the drive shaft 123. After passing through the drive turbine 116 the second mass flow m ₂ passes through the second recuperator 118 and flows into the second heat exchanger 206 as the second mass flow m ₂ flows to the second heat exchanger 206 side And transfers the heat energy to the second mass flow (m ₂ ). The second mass flow m _{2 then} re-merges with the first mass flow m ₁ and the merged mass flow m ₁ + m ₂ is then cooled in the condenser 122 and then returned to the pump section 104 ) To start a new fluid loop.

During start-up of the thermal engine system 200 and operation of the turbo pump 124, the starter pump 129 may be actuated to initiate rotation of the turbo pump 124. In order to facilitate this start or operation enhancement, a shut-off valve (not shown) arranged downstream of the point 210 to prevent the working fluid from being transmitted to the first heat exchanger 204 at all or not to be inflated within the power turbine 110 214 are initially closed. Strictly speaking, all the working fluid discharged from the pump section 128 is sent through the valve 215 to the second heat exchanger 208 and the drive turbine 116. The heated working fluid is expanded in the drive turbine 116 to start operation of the turbo pump 124 by driving the pump part 104.

The head-water pressure generated by the pump portion 128 of the turbo pump 124 near the point 210 prevents the low-pressure working fluid, which is emitted from the pump portion 104 during operation enhancement, from crossing the first check valve 146 . The first bypass valve 154 in the first recirculation line 152 is fully opened until the pump 104 is able to accelerate past the stall speed of the turbo pump 124 until the low- To the low pressure point in the working fluid circuit 202, which is the point 156 adjacent the inlet of the working fluid circuit 202. The inlet of the pump section 128 is in fluid communication with the first recycle line 152 at a point upstream of the first bypass valve 154. Once the turbo pump 124 has reached its self-sustaining speed, the bypass valve 154 is gradually closed to increase the discharge pressure of the pump section 104 and reduce the flow rate through the first recycle line 152 . Once the turbo pump 124 has reached steady state operation and even reaches its self-holding speed, the shutoff valve 214 is gradually opened so that the first mass flow rate m ₁ is expanded within the power turbine 110 The generation of electric energy can be started. The heat engine system 200 typically has an automated control system (not shown) configured to regulate, operate, or otherwise control the valve and other components therein.

The starter pump 129 may be gradually de-energized and shut down by the turbo pump 124 operating at the steady state operating speed. The deactivation of the starter pump 129 may include simultaneous opening of the second bypass valve 160 arranged in the second recirculation line 158. The second bypass valve 160 allows the progressively low pressure working fluid discharged from the pump section 128 to escape to the low pressure side (e.g., point 156) of the working fluid circuit. As a result, the second bypass valve 160 can be fully opened when the speed of the pump part 128 is stopped and stopped, and the second check valve 148 is opened when the working fluid, which is discharged by the pump part 104, To advance to the discharge side of the valve 128. In a steady state, the turbo pump 124 continuously pressurizes the working fluid circuit 202 to drive both the drive turbine 116 and the power turbine 110.

4 shows a schematic diagram of a thermal engine system 300 constructed from parallel thermal engine cycles in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein. The heat engine system 300 may be similar to the heat engine system 100a, 100b, 101, 200 described above in many aspects and therefore may best be understood with reference to Figures 1a, 1b, 2 and 3, In these drawings, like reference numerals correspond to like elements which are not described again. The thermal engine system 300 also includes a working fluid circuit 302 that uses a third heat exchanger 304 that is in thermal communication with the heat source stream Qin. The heat exchangers 204, 206 and 304 are arranged in series with the heat source stream Qin, but are arranged in parallel with the working fluid circuit 302.

The combination of the turbo pump 124 (e.g., the combination of the drive turbine 116 and the pump portion 104 that are coupled and actuated via the drive shaft 123) And is configured and arranged to operate continuously with the starter pump 129 during operation enhancement. During steady state operation of the thermal engine system 300, the starter pump 129 typically does not operate. Instead, only the pump section 104 then discharges the working fluid, which is separated into the first and second mass flows m ₁ , m ₂ at point 306. The third heat exchanger 304 may be configured to transfer thermal energy from the heat source stream Qin to the first mass flow m ₁ flowing through the heat exchanger. The first mass flow m ₁ is then sent to the first heat exchanger 204 and the power turbine 110 for generating expansion power. After expansion in the power turbine 110, the first mass flow m ₁ passes through the first recuperator 114 and is discharged from the third heat exchanger 304 to the first heat exchanger 204 side And conveys the residual thermal energy to the flowing first mass flow (m ₁ ).

The second mass flow m ₂ is sent to the valve 215, the second recuperator 118 and the second heat exchanger 206 and is then expanded in the drive turbine 116 to drive the pump section 104 . After being discharged from the drive turbine 116, the second mass flow m ₂ is merged with the first mass flow m ₁ at point 308. The combined mass flow m ₁ + m ₂ then passes through the second regulator 118 and flows through the second mass flow m ₂ as it flows toward the second heat exchanger 206. m < ₂ >).

During the startup of the thermal engine system 300 and / or the operation of the turbo pump 124, the pump unit 128 draws and circulates the working fluid from the first bypass valve 152, thereby rotating the turbo pump 124 . The shutoff valve 214 may be initially closed to prevent the working fluid from expanding in the power turbine 110 while circulating through the first and third heat exchangers 204 and 304. [ The working fluid discharged from the pump section 128 is sent through the second heat exchanger 206 and the drive turbine 116. The heated working fluid is expanded in the drive turbine 110 to start operation of the turbo pump 124 by driving the pump part 104.

Until the discharge pressure of the pump section 104 of the turbo pump 124 accelerates past the stall speed of the turbo pump 124 until it can withstand the head pressure generated by the pump section 128 of the start pump 129 , Any of the working fluid discharged from the pump section 104 is sent to the pump section 128 side or recirculated to the low pressure point (e.g., point 156) in the working fluid circuit 202 again through the first recirculation line 152 . Once the turbo pump 124 is self-retaining, the bypass valve 154 may be gradually closed to increase the discharge pressure of the pump section 104 and reduce the flow rate through the first recycle line 152. Thereafter, the shutoff valve 214 is also gradually opened to generate electrical energy by initiating the circulation of the first mass flow m ₁ through the power turbine 110. Thereafter, the starter pump 129 in the heat engine system 300 can be gradually shut down while simultaneously opening the second bypass valve 160 arranged in the second recirculation line 158. As a result, the second bypass valve 160 is fully opened and the pump unit 128 can be stopped with a slow operation. The heat engine system 300 typically has an automated control system (not shown) configured to regulate, operate or otherwise control the valve and other components therein.

5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a thermal engine system 400 configured with other parallel thermal engine cycles in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein. The heat engine system 400 may best be understood with reference to FIG. 3, as it may be similar to the heat engine system 300, and like numerals in the drawings correspond to similar components that will not be described again. The working fluid circuit 402 shown in Fig. 5 is substantially similar to the working fluid circuit 302 shown in Fig. 4 except for an additional third correlator 404. The third correlator 404 may be adapted to obtain additional thermal energy from the combined mass flow m ₁ + m ₂ emitted from the second correlator 118. Therefore, the third the working fluid in the first mass flow (m ₁₎ into the heat exchanger 304 may be preheated in the third rail Coober accelerator 404 prior to feed of the thermal energy transferred from the heat source stream (Qin) have.

As illustrated, the regulator 114, 118, 404 may be operated as an individual heat exchange mechanism. However, in other embodiments, the correlators 114, 118, and 404 may be combined as a single integrated recuperator. Steady state operation, system start-up, and operational enhancement of the turbo pump 124 may be similar to those described above in FIG. 3 and will not be described again.

Each of the systems illustrated in Figs. 1A-5 may be implemented in a variety of physical embodiments, including but not limited to fixed or integral installations or as embedded devices such as portable waste heat engine "skids ". The waste heat engine skids may be used to drive the respective working fluid circuit and associated components (e.g., turbines 110, 116, regulators 114, 118, 404, condenser 122, pump sections 104, 128, ) Into an integrated single unit. An exemplary waste heat engine skid is described and exemplified in commonly assigned US Application No. 12 / 631,412, entitled "Thermal Energy Conversion Device ", filed December 9, 2009, which is published as US 2011-0185729, The contents of which are incorporated herein by reference to the extent that they are consistent with the present invention.

6 is a flow diagram of a turbo pump starting method 500 in a thermal engine system having thermodynamic working fluid circuitry utilized during operation in accordance with one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein. The method 500 includes circulating the working fluid in the working fluid circuit by a starter pump connected in series with the turbo pump at 502. [ The starter pump may be in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the first heat exchanger may be in thermal communication with the heat source stream. Heat energy is transferred from the heat source stream in the first heat exchanger to the working fluid at 504. The method 500 further includes inflating the working fluid in the drive turbine at 506. The drive turbine is coupled in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the drive turbine is operatively coupled to the pump section such that the combination of the drive turbine and the pump section is a turbo pump.

At 508, the pump section is driven by the drive turbine. At 510, the working fluid discharged from the pump portion is bypassed into the starter pump or into the first recycle line until the pump portion is accelerated past the stall speed of the pump. The first recirculation line is capable of fluid communication between the pump section and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit. Furthermore, the first bypass valve can be arranged in the first recirculation line. At 512, when the turbo pump reaches its self-maintaining operating speed, the first bypass valve begins to gradually close. As a result, at 514, the pump section initiates the circulation of the working fluid discharged from the pump section through the working fluid circuit.

The method 500 may also include disabling the starter pump at 516 and opening the second bypass valve arranged in the second recirculation line. The second recirculation line is capable of fluid communication between the starter pump and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit. At 518, the low pressure working fluid discharged from the starter pump may be diverted into the second recirculation line until the starter pump is stopped.

It is to be understood that the following disclosure describes some exemplary embodiments for implementing the different elements, structures, or functions of the present invention. To simplify this disclosure, exemplary embodiments of components, arrangements, and structures are described below, but these exemplary embodiments are provided by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This disclosure will also be able to repeat the citation numbers and / or characters in various exemplary embodiments and throughout the drawings provided herein. This repetition is for simplicity and does not in itself affect the relationship between the various illustrative embodiments and / or structures illustrated in the various figures. Furthermore, in the following description, forming the first element on the second element or on the second element may include embodiments in which the first element and the second element are formed in direct contact, Additional elements intervening in the first element and the second element may be formed such that the second element is not in direct contact. Finally, it is understood that, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the exemplary embodiments presented below may be combined in any combination, that is, any element from one exemplary embodiment may be combined with any other exemplary embodiment And the like.

In addition, specific terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to specific components. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, various entities may refer to the same component with different names, such as the customary designation for the elements described herein, It is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In addition, the conventional nomenclature used herein is not intended to distinguish between components having different names but different functions. Also, in the following description and claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are used in an open ended form and should be construed accordingly to mean "including but not limited to" . All numbers in this disclosure may be accurate or approximate unless explicitly stated otherwise. Accordingly, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be derived from the numbers, values, and ranges without departing from the intended scope disclosed herein. Also, as used in the claims or specification, the term "or" is intended to encompass both exclusively and collectively, that is, "A or B ", unless the context clearly dictates otherwise in this document , "At least one of A and B ".

In order that those skilled in the art may better understand the present disclosure, a summary of some embodiments has been presented above. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that they may employ this disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures to achieve the same objectives and / or to achieve the same benefits as the embodiments introduced herein Will be readily available. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of this disclosure and that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. I will know.

90: Heat source stream 100a: Heat engine system
102: working fluid circuit 103: heat exchanger
104: pump section of the turbo pump 105: discharge line
110: power turbine 112: power generator
116: drive turbine 122: condenser
123: drive shaft 124: turbo pump
127: Suction line 128: Pump section of the starter pump
129: starter pump 146: first check valve
148: second check valve 152: first recirculation line
154: first bypass valve 158: second recirculation line
160: Second bypass valve

Claims (20)

As a thermal engine system,
A working fluid circuit comprising a working fluid comprising carbon dioxide and comprising a first mass flow of the working fluid and a second mass flow of the working fluid,
A turbo pump having a pump portion operatively associated with a drive turbine, the pump portion being configured to be fluidly coupled to the working fluid circuit and to circulate the working fluid through the working fluid circuit;
A pump section of the starter pump and a pump section of the turbo pump are connected in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit in series with the working fluid circuit, The pump being coupled to the pump,
A first mass flow of the working fluid in the working fluid circuit from the heat source stream, and a second mass flow of the working fluid in the working fluid circuit, wherein the first mass flow of the working fluid in the working fluid circuit is configured to be in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit, A first heat exchanger configured to deliver energy,
A power turbine disposed downstream of the first heat exchanger and operable to heat energy by a pressure drop in a first mass flow of a working fluid flowing through the power turbine, A power turbine configured to convert the energy into energy,
And a first recuperator coupled to the power turbine in fluid communication and configured to receive a first mass flow discharged from the power turbine. 2. The thermal engine system according to claim 1, wherein the pump section of the starter pump is coupled in fluid communication with the operating fluid circuit in series with the pump section of the turbo pump downstream of the pump section of the turbo pump. 3. The thermal engine system according to claim 2, wherein an outlet of the pump portion of the turbo pump is coupled in fluid communication with an inlet of the pump portion of the starter pump. 2. The thermal engine system according to claim 1, wherein the pump section of the starter pump is coupled in fluid communication with the operating fluid circuit in series with the pump section of the turbo pump upstream of the pump section of the turbo pump. 5. The thermal engine system according to claim 4, wherein the outlet of the pump section of the starter pump is coupled in fluid communication with the inlet of the pump section of the turbo pump. The turbine of claim 1, further comprising a second correlator coupled in fluid communication with the drive turbine,
Wherein the drive turbine is configured to receive and expand the second mass flow and discharge the second mass flow into the second regulator. 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the first regulator transfers residual thermal energy from the first mass flow to the second mass flow before the second mass flow is expanded in the drive turbine, . 7. The thermal engine system of claim 6, wherein the first regulator transfers residual thermal energy from a first mass flow exiting the power turbine to a first mass flow guided to the first heat exchanger. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a first heat exchanger disposed in fluid communication with and in thermal communication with the working fluid circuit; a second heat exchanger disposed in series with the first heat exchanger along the working fluid circuit, And a second heat exchanger configured to communicate thermal energy from the heat source stream to a second mass flow of the working fluid. 10. The thermal engine system of claim 9, wherein the second heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the heat source stream and is in fluid communication with the pump portion of the turbo pump and the pump portion of the starter pump. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power generator coupled to the power turbine and configured to convert the mechanical energy to electrical energy, wherein at least a portion of the working fluid circuit comprises a working fluid in a supercritical state Engine system. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a first recirculation line for fluidly communicating the low pressure side of the pump section with the working fluid circuit;
A second recirculation line for fluidly coupling the starter pump and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit,
A first bypass valve arranged in the first recirculation line,
And a second bypass valve arranged in the second recirculation line. CLAIMS 1. A method for starting a turbo pump in a heat engine system,
Circulating a working fluid including carbon dioxide in a working fluid circuit using a starter pump, the working fluid circuit comprising a first mass flow of the working fluid and a second mass flow of the working fluid, Wherein at least a portion of the fluid circuit comprises a working fluid in a supercritical state,
Transferring thermal energy from the heat source stream to the working fluid using a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the working fluid circuit and in thermal communication therewith;
Converting the thermal energy from the working fluid into mechanical energy of the driving turbine while causing the working fluid to flow into the driving turbine of the turbo pump to expand the working fluid;
Driving the pump section of the turbo pump using the mechanical energy of the drive turbine, wherein the pump section is coupled to the drive turbine and the working fluid is circulated in the working fluid circuit by the turbo pump. A driving step,
Circulating the working fluid discharged from the pump portion of the turbo pump into a first recirculation line for fluid communication between the pump portion of the turbo pump and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit, A bypass valve having a first bypass valve,
Closing the first bypass valve when the turbo pump reaches a self-sustaining speed of operation,
Stopping the starter pump and opening a second bypass valve arranged in a second recirculation line for fluid communication between the starter pump and the low pressure side of the working fluid circuit,
And bypassing the working fluid discharged from the starter pump into the second recirculation line. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: flowing the working fluid into a power turbine to convert thermal energy from the working fluid to mechanical energy of the power turbine;
Further comprising converting the mechanical energy of the power turbine into electrical energy using a power generator coupled to the power turbine. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein circulating the working fluid in the working fluid circuit using the starter pump comprises closing the shutoff valve to bypass the working fluid around the power turbine arranged in the working fluid circuit Wherein the step of operating the turbo pump comprises the steps of: 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: opening the shut-off valve to guide the working fluid into the power turbine when the turbo pump reaches a self-
Expanding the working fluid in the power turbine;
Further comprising the step of driving a generator coupled to the power turbine to generate power. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: opening the shut-off valve when the turbo pump reaches the self-
Guiding the working fluid into a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the power turbine and in thermal communication with the heat source stream;
Transferring additional thermal energy from the heat source stream to the working fluid in the second heat exchanger,
Expanding a working fluid received from the second heat exchanger in the power turbine,
Further comprising the steps of: driving a generator coupled to the power turbine, wherein the generator is operable to generate power by driving the generator. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: opening the shut-off valve when the turbo pump reaches the self-
Guiding the working fluid into a second heat exchanger in thermal communication with the heat source stream, wherein the first and second heat exchangers are arranged in series in the heat source stream;
Directing the working fluid from the second heat exchanger into a third heat exchanger in fluid communication with the power turbine and in thermal communication with the heat source stream, wherein the first, second, And arranged in series in the stream,
Transferring additional thermal energy from the heat source stream to the working fluid in the third heat exchanger,
Expanding the working fluid received from the third heat exchanger in the power turbine,
Further comprising the steps of: driving a generator coupled to the power turbine, wherein the generator is operable to generate power by driving the generator. As a thermal engine system,
A turbo pump having a pump portion operatively associated with the drive turbine and hermetically sealed within the casing, the pump portion being configured to circulate the working fluid over the working fluid circuit;
A starter pump arranged in series with the pump section of the turbo pump in the working fluid circuit,
A first check valve arranged in the working fluid circuit downstream of the pump section,
A second check valve arranged in the working fluid circuit downstream of the starter pump and coupled in fluid communication with the first check valve,
A power turbine coupled in fluid communication with both the pump section of the turbo pump and the pump section of the starter pump,
A first recirculation line for fluidly communicating the low pressure side of the pump section with the working fluid circuit,
And a second recirculation line for fluidly communicating the low pressure side of the actuating fluid circuit with the starter pump. 20. The system of claim 19, further comprising: a first correlator coupled in fluid communication with the power turbine;
And a second regulator coupled in fluid communication with the drive turbine.

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